In 1664, the English - The Second Anglo-Dutch War having broken out - conquered the settlements that had been established by the Dutch within the areas that we now know as New York and New Jersey, future territories which, by the Treaty of Breda in 1667, would be retained by England. This would put the English in charge of most all the North American eastern coast, including Acadia. It must be remembered that the center of French influence in North America was Quebec: it never was to be Acadia.

In 1668, Alexander Le Borgne, who assumed his father's, Emanmanuel's, noble title of Belleisle, was of course delighted with the news that Acadia was to be in "French hands" once again. That year, Le Borgne was to sail the entire coast of Acadia with the news. History is unclear in this, but Le Borgne arrived at Boston
late in October of 1668. He intended to show his papers to Governor Temple, who was apparently temporarily away from his command post at Penobscot entertaining himself with his friends at Boston. Temple himself was not at all impressed and had some indication from his own sources that King Charles of England was not yet ready to give up Acadia. Temple dismissed Le Borgne and sailed for Acadia and immediately took the place back8 by presumably going to the town square at Port Royal and unceremoniously tearing down the French flag and running up the English one.9

To the extent that Grandfontaine spent anytime in Acadia, it seems he spent it at Penobscot.12 "The fort which he had made his residence was a paltry work, incapable of resisting any serious attack, and only fit to be used as an Indian trading station." But even at that, it was likely that Penobscot was the best defended position in all of Acadia. The fort at Jemseg, as Hannay points out, was in a worst state than the fort at Penobscot. Fort Latour at the mouth of the St. John "had been long abandoned, the fortifications at Port Royal had crumbled away, Fort St. Louis, at Port Latour, had degenerated into a mere fishing station ..." As for the fort at La Have, where Le Borgne had been but a few short years ago, it "had no other tenants but the wild beasts from the forest which surrounded it."13

Grandfontaine appointed his deputies: Pierre de Joibert was in charge at Jemseg. At Pentagoet, the Baron Saint-Castin was to establish himself.15 Le Borgne, the most senior Frenchman at Port Royal, was initially put in charge at that place. Le Borgne however was not long to survive in a position of leadership. He was, it seems, a hard master. In concert with the resident priest, Molin, he "caused a negro to be hung without any trial, killed an Indian, and banished three inhabitants."16 Grandfontaine, therefore, had good reason to dismiss Le Borgne; he probably would have liked to have gotten rid of his officer at Jemseg too, as they (Joibert and Grandfontaine) did not get along.

Beaubassin & Bergier (1678-84):
Joibert died21 in the year following his appointment and Michael Leneuf de Beaubassin (1640-1705, the elder) was then named as governor. Beaubassin was the first of an unusually large number of French naval heros who were to take land posts as governors of Acadia. Beaubassin earned his reputation in 1676, when he and his brother-in-law, the son of Nicholas Denys, Sieur Richard Denys as second in command, in their French war vessel, seized three English ketches from Boston that were taking on coal at Cape Breton. Frontenac was that pleased with Beaubassin's accomplishments that he was to grant a large piece of land at the Isthmus of Chignecto which became known as the Beaubassin seigneury.22